Hydroponic farming.

I can honestly say that I have a new found appreciation for England's farmers, or rather how difficult it must be for them to grow or raise anything in the often calamitous English climate.  I myself am having a bit of difficulty farming here in, currently, not-so-sunny California.
I managed to get out into the vineyard quite early this morning and it was actually a little sunny.  However, I made the mistake of stopping for a cup of tea at 11.00 am and consequently wasted some valuable outside-time.  When I returned to the vineyard I barely managed to get in another 40 minutes of pruning before the heavens opened.  Determined to be finished pruning by this coming Sunday, I was hoping the weather would cooperate with me over the next four days, but nope. 
This afternoon, for the 3.00 pm hour, lightning was forecast.  What?  There was no way I wanted to be caught out in the vineyard with long metal loppers in my hands in lightning.  The lightning didn't materialise, not that it mattered, I was stuck indoors anyway.  The weather forecasts have been very changeable of late - as in they have been literally changing every 4 to 6 hours - and I don't know whether I am coming or going.  Neither does the rain.  Sigh.
At this rate I may have to ask Vinomaker if he has a headlamp I can borrow and some skunk repellent I can arm myself with, as I may have to resort to a bit of catch up nocturnal-farming.
Today was a bust, oh well.  One down, three to go.

Saturday bud update.

When flower clusters and mini tendrils appear in the vineyard I think it is safe to say that budbreak has happened.  The Orange muscat (OM) vines are looking very enthused, the baby shoots are almost 2 inches long already.  I have been so busy pruning the Syrah vines that I almost forgot to have a look at how the OM was doing.  They look like they're doing fine and dandy.  Must remember to have a peep at the Pinot grigio tomorrow.  Prune on.

Eight days later.

There are still 20 days until the beginning of spring, but the casual onlooker would be forgiven for thinking that spring has already arrived in Vinoland.  The Orange muscat vines are all worked up, look at those little leaves.  Those baby leaves have already survived a mini frost earlier in the week and two showers today (a whole 7 minutes of rain, titter, titter. California is great), but they still have a long growing season ahead of them.  Soldier on little leafies!

Yet another week later...

...and it is a bud no more.
The Orange Muscat vines are definitely up and running for 2013. When I left for work today, the vines were backlit by the early morning sun which made their youthful, green-fuzziness very obvious.  Next week, this same leaf-clusterette will probably have grown up to be a 3 inch shoot.  Ah...my babies.